Transatlantic & World Cruises
Crossings, repositioning voyages and world cruises for travelers who love sea days.
Get Free Cruise QuotesFor travelers who love the sea itself, crossings and long voyages are the purest form of cruising: days of open ocean, enrichment talks and nothing to rush for.
Transatlantic Crossings
There are two kinds of Atlantic crossing. A scheduled liner crossing runs between Southampton in England and New York, usually in about seven nights, on a ship designed for the North Atlantic. A repositioning crossing moves a cruise ship between seasonal regions: from Florida or the Caribbean to Europe in spring, and back again in autumn, often calling at the Azores, Madeira or the Canary Islands on the way.
Spring crossings
Eastbound voyages as ships leave the Caribbean and Florida for a European summer, usually around March to May.
Autumn crossings
Ships return to the Caribbean and Florida for the winter, usually around October and November.
Liner crossings
Regular service between Southampton and New York across much of the year, around seven nights.
Who Crossings Suit
Readers, retirees, remote thinkers and anyone who wants a true rest. Crossings suit people who enjoy lectures, classes, afternoon tea and long dinners, and who are happy without a port for several days. They are less suited to first-time cruisers who are unsure about sea days or motion.
Repositioning voyages can offer good value per night, but remember the one-way flight. Our sister site Repositioning Cruises lists repositioning voyages and explains how to plan them.
World Cruises
World cruises circle the globe over roughly three months or more, usually departing in January from the U.S., the UK, Europe or Australia. They are often sold in segments too, so you can join for a few weeks between two ports. Shorter “grand voyages” of 30 to 60 nights cover a single continent or ocean in depth.
Crossing and World Cruise Questions
What is a repositioning cruise?
A one-way voyage that moves a ship between seasonal regions, such as from the Caribbean to Europe in spring and back in autumn. They often have many sea days and can offer good value per night.
Do I need to book a flight home?
Yes, for a one-way crossing you will need to fly home or onward from the arrival port. Price the flight before you book the cruise.
How long is a world cruise?
Full world cruises often last around 100 nights or more, and many lines also sell shorter segments of the same voyage.
Life on a Crossing
Days on an ocean crossing take on their own rhythm. Clocks change by an hour on several nights as the ship moves between time zones, which most travelers find easy, especially sailing eastbound to Europe when the hours are lost gradually. Enrichment lectures, classes, afternoon tea, deck walks and long dinners fill the days, and many guests say they have never read so many books on a holiday.
Plan a Crossing or a Long Voyage
Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise will match the right crossing or world cruise segment to your dates, and send free quotes.
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